Baldy if the 50p stuck to the floor means what I think, it could have been the White Swan in the Bigg Market that was run by a puff called Viv, he used to run a pub called The Golden Tiger opposite what used to be the post office tower as you come off the bridge, it had a great discoteque in the back room in them days.

Jim, in the days we got in the Mechanics the landlord was called I think Tuppence.
Now I don't know if that was a nickname or not as they had a son and everybody called him Terry Tuppence (to be PC about it he had learning difficulties) he used to go around with a big poodle bothering the girls in Woolworths.
Anybody remember him.

No Cisco, I knew Viv because I used to do the machines in the Golden Tiger. The pub in question was called the Duke, Prince or Earl of something or other and was a few doors down from Pumphreys Coffee Shop. I used to get in pubs and clubs all over the place in those does but only for work, not socially, I stuck to Shields for that.

I remember Terry, Cisco. I'm not sure if it was his mum who died of Cirhosis? I did know her, but have forgotten her name. I wasnt a drinker there in those days. I know her, Terry and Richard because my mother worked for them. She used to tell terry off and keep him in line. My mother worked in just about every pub in the centre/market areas from the late 60s until mid to late 70s. In the early 60s, my Mam & dad trained as managers in the Robin Hood and Prince Of Wales in Jarrow and were offered, by the brewery, to run the Ben Lomond (Viking) in 1966. But went to Australia instead.

Richard had a sign up in the Mechanics. It said "Lindas Gay Bar" Linda being his "other" name.

I have heard of Big Viv. He is a legend and was well connected in the Newcastle underworld. I may have the wrong person, but I think he was stabbed to death in the "Asia Blue" pub he had in Gateshead.

Viv had a reputation for being a hard man, I always found him to be a gentleman. One day in the Golden Tiger I was fixing a one armed bandit and I was getting a lot of hassle from one of the male staff who had taken a shine to me, Viv came into the room and soon sorted him out by shouting at him "leave him alone, not everyone is a raving pooftah like you" The guy went white and scurried out of the room. I don't know anything about him being stabbed, but he is still a legend in the City.

That's exactly right Jim he was stabbed to death in that bar.
Viv was a hard man and any trouble in his bar he vever called the police he would deal with it himself.
I'm sure he was related to the Tansy's of Newcastle.

Baldy I had a mate who used to repair them machines, Tommy Hornsby, he served his time as a electrician at the pit.

baldy.smith wrote:No Cisco, I knew Viv because I used to do the machines in the Golden Tiger. The pub in question was called the Duke, Prince or Earl of something or other and was a few doors down from Pumphreys Coffee Shop. I used to get in pubs and clubs all over the place in those does but only for work, not socially, I stuck to Shields for that.

Jim_in_France wrote:I remember Terry, Cisco. I'm not sure if it was his mum who died of Cirhosis? I did know her, but have forgotten her name. I wasnt a drinker there in those days. I know her, Terry and Richard because my mother worked for them. She used to tell terry off and keep him in line. My mother worked in just about every pub in the centre/market areas from the late 60s until mid to late 70s. In the early 60s, my Mam & dad trained as managers in the Robin Hood and Prince Of Wales in Jarrow and were offered, by the brewery, to run the Ben Lomond (Viking) in 1966. But went to Australia instead.

Richard had a sign up in the Mechanics. It said "Lindas Gay Bar" Linda being his "other" name.

I have heard of Big Viv. He is a legend and was well connected in the Newcastle underworld. I may have the wrong person, but I think he was stabbed to death in the "Asia Blue" pub he had in Gateshead.

Viv Graham the gangster was shot after he came out of a pub early on new years eve 1994. I heard people round the pubs in Newcastle were happy about it, singing 1994 Viv no more.

The Viv we are talking about was a well known homosexual very camp with peroxide blond hair, mind you would'nt like to get on the wrong side of him so to speak.
As Jim said he was stabbed to death by a young lad outside the Asia Blue pub in Gateshead.

Baldy I don't know about theLord Nelson but there was a pub called the Trafalger I think which I used to get in.
The pub Viv had after the Tiger was it not beside the big dome toilets in the Bigg Market.
I also got in the George and the Black Boy this would be the early sixties.

It was Richard, I was talking about Cisco. The Pub was in the part called the Cloth Market. The pubs there were; The Old George, The White Swan and the White Hart, it may have been one of those that Little Richard (as I called him) was manager of and where the coin was stuck to the floor, there used to be a lot of prostitutes in there looking for punters, some right old hags among them. Richard was on the short side, very camp and liked his fancy waistcoats, very dapper he was.

Same era Cisco; but our boss told us to keep well clear of that mob, never did actually come across any of them. The firm I worked for owned the amusement arcade next to the Pier Pavlion, they also had a one in the fairground. I did not work in either of those places, I worked in the workshop at the rear of the one near the Pier Pavilion but most of the time I was going aroung pubs all over the place emptying and fixing machines.

Interesting job though Baldy going round all the pubs.
That old mate of mine I mentioned that used to do it, would have been after your time Baldy, it would have been the early seventies.
Your Jacky will know him.

Cisco. Didnt Landa own the Tuxedo Princes floating nightclub? Or was that a different villain? I get my gangsters mixed up now! Who was the other gangster found floating in the Tyne? I cant remember his name, but he had a hole in his throat from an opperation.

baldy. I remember Richard at the Mechanics. Very camp and bitchy. He had been known to swear!

I went in once when I was underage, about 15. I didnt know the names of any drinks, so trying to look cool, I just said I'll have a pint. Richard said "A *****pint of what". So I said...."Wot you got". After much swearing, Richard started to name all the drinks. At the end of his list, I picked the first drink he had named. He nearly had a fit!!

Landa did not own the Tuxedo princess as far as I know, however the family who did own it may have been fronting for him and others because I know the family involved (being distant Italian relatives of the wife). They did not have the sort of money (although fairly well off) to mount such an operation. They also owned the club in the City. Landa was based in Sunderland but his operations were widespread. I had heard of his mob going around and forcing pubs to take his machines but I never actually knew first hand of anyone having this done to them.

baldy. I know it was an italian who owned the Tux. You could tell by his name! I just cant remember it. I do know that there was a frontman. I knew someone who knew someone etc etc. The lad I knew had dealings with that lot, but its so long ago, I cant remember what I was told exactly.

The name of the owners is Quadrini, they had or still have an Ice Cream business and cafe etc but I have never had any personal contact with any of the family, but I do have close contact with some who do know the family very well.